Andrew was recognised for his outstanding contribution, commitment and dedication to the Telecommunications industry. After completing his City & Guilds certification in Radio and Television Servicing in 1976 at Bolton College, the college then arranged his first interview at Pennine Telecom Group. From repairing radios he worked his way up, ultimately leading a management buy-out to acquire the company in 2008. Now he leads a £8m turnover business employing over 60 staff which has expanded from its roots in two-way radio to offer extensive expertise in traditional and internet telephony, wireless communications, data networks, mobiles and the fast-growing field of unified communications.
The Prince Philip Medal was first established in 1962 to honour those who have, in The Duke of Edinburgh’s own words, ‘travelled the City & Guilds path’ and made the most of their talents. Each year, Prince Philip chooses an overall winner and two people who are highly commended. In line with his 90th birthday in June this year, Prince Philip will step down as President – a post he has held for 59 years - and HRH The Princess Royal has accepted the invitation to become the new President. Going forward, she will continue the Prince Philip Medal programme.
Speaking about his success, Andrew said: “I am immensely proud to have been selected by His Royal Highness Prince Philip to receive this commendation. It’s very rewarding to receive personal recognition but more importantly awards of this nature highlight the contribution that vocational skills and qualifications bring to the UK economy. Pennine Telecom has always recognised the value of these types of skills and training, as my own career demonstrates, and it continues today in our current recruitment policy, apprenticeships and company wide training programmes.”
CEO and Director General of City & Guilds, Chris Jones said: ‘City & Guilds firmly believe in the importance of celebrating the achievements of both our current and past learners. It is an incredible honour to be highly commended for the Prince Philip Medals. Andrew should be really proud of what he’s accomplished and I hope he sees further success in the future’.
City & Guilds is the UK’s leading vocational education organisation, offering more than 500 qualifications across 28 industries.